


Ravenclaw Cove

by mysticalflute



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Crossover, Crossover Pairings, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-06-22
Updated: 2013-09-16
Packaged: 2017-12-15 19:40:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 14,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/853312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mysticalflute/pseuds/mysticalflute
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>October 31st, 1981: A Halloween celebration brings much of the Wizarding world together in the small town of Ravenclaw Cove, when, suddenly, the town goes off the grid, as if by magic. But the magic that surrounds the town, keeping it cut off from the world, isn't something the Ministry has ever felt. It's from another world.</p><p>(Also on Fanfiction.net)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Halloween

**Author's Note:**

> Very, very A.U. Enjoy!

"James!" Lily Potter shrieked with laughter, sitting in the small cottage in Godric's Hollow they owned. Her husband vanished into the kitchen, ducking underneath the small table, their son hot on his heels. "Honestly, stop screwing around. We need to get to the party before it gets too late. You know they're going to set the pumpkins off as soon as it gets dark!"

"Jeez, I just wanted to have a little fun with the boy before we left. Is that so wrong?" her husband replied, stepping into the room, their one year old son in his arms. James had been pretending to be a snitch while Harry raced behind him on a broomstick, dressed as a Seeker from the Puddlemere United Quidditch team. She wasn't sure what possessed her husband to do something like that, but he had known about this party for weeks now, and he knew that they had to be there on time or they wouldn't be let in.

It was Harry's first Halloween, and Lily wanted to make it special – and what was more special than a Halloween party with wizards from all walks of life at it? Plus it was the first time they'd be able to see many of their schoolmates (not counting Sirius, Remus, Marlene and Abigail) since the fall of Voldemort and they were able to come out of hiding.

She didn't even want to think about that rat, Peter.

Voldemort's death had come as a surprise to the world – but a welcome one. If he hadn't been defeated by Dumbledore, then there was a very good chance she and James would have died. Lily didn't know the full reasons as to how Voldemort was gone, but the news had come from Dumbledore, so she trusted it.

"You make a beautiful goddess, did you know that?" James asked as he took her hand and led her outside, waiting for the Knight Bus to arrive. Apparation was her preferred method of magical travel, but with a one-year-old, it was difficult. 

Lily shook her head. "And you make an excellent snitch, James."

"Why didn't you dress up like someone from the Holyhead Harpies? We could've been a family of Quidditch players!" James told her as they stepped onto the bus. Lily knew he was right – it would've been cute, but…

"I support Quidditch. I know you love it James, but I just can't bring myself to be interested in it," Lily said, resting her head against his shoulder as the bus took off, Lily grabbing on tight to a free bar.

It seemed that most people on the bus with them were going to Ravenclaw Cove for the party, judging by the outfits they were wearing.

"James, isn't that Reuben Sutherland?" Lily asked, nodding at a man who had gotten onto the bus with them.

"Oh yeah, and that must be his wife… is that Audrina Henderson from Hufflepuff?" James asked, staring at the couple, and their child, in obvious bewilderment.

"James," Lily hissed. "It's not polite to stare at people." Besides, Audrina and Reuben weren't the biggest shocking couple – Lily still had a feeling it was she and James. "And yes, that is Audrina."

Audrina had been a good friend to Lily while they were in school, despite not being in the same house. She had been someone Lily could go to, and trust, when she felt she couldn't trust any of her friends in her house. Don't get her wrong, she loved her house, and her friends in it, just… some of them had bigger mouths than she wanted, especially if that something she didn't want out pertained to James, but honestly, even with friends in other houses, it had been difficult, thanks to James' popularity.

"Lily, James!" her friend called, sitting in the seats across the aisle from them. "It's been so long. How are you both doing?"

"We're doing great, especially now that we can come out of hiding," Lily replied. "This is our first time out in public in, what, James, months?"

James nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it's nice to be able to go somewhere other than Moony's cottage or Padfoot's house."

"So you still hang around with them, eh?" Reuben asked, adjusting a small, pink bundle in his lap – their daughter Victoria, dressed as a little angel. Lily couldn't help but smile, and wish, somehow, that she could have a little girl too. She and James were young though, and she knew that time was on their side.

"Well of course. You can't break apart The Marauders!" James declared. "Well… aside from Peter Pettigrew." He wrinkled his nose.

"I was shocked to read about that… I can't believe he would do such a thing," Audrina said. "Though I guess people can… do shocking things in times of war…"

Lily and James nodded grimly. "When Dumbledore told us that Peter had been spotted among the Death Eaters… we knew we had to change things around," James explained. "Thank God that new Divination teacher saw something, or we would have been dead for sure."

"And we would have left our son an orphan. I couldn't imagine doing that to Harry… he wouldn't have any memories of James and I." The thought made Lily ill, it really did. She wanted to stay with her son, see him grow up, go to school, marry… and have children of his own.

The bus suddenly came to a screeching halt, and the passengers let out collective yelps and groans at the harsh stop.

"I can't wait until Harry's old enough to travel another way," James grumbled beside her, holding their son close and making sure he hadn't gotten hurt.

Lily nodded. "You okay?" she asked. "Both of you."

"We're fine, Lily… looks like we're here."

Lily looked out the grimy bus window, and smiled. The town of Ravenclaw Cove was decorated beautifully, with pumpkins, spiders, and anything else one could think of when it came to Halloween – along with a clear celebration on Voldemort's death. It would be a beautiful night – perfect for her son's first Halloween.

"This will be great," James said, helping her off the bus.

"I'm excited for Harry to meet other wizards his age," Lily said, kissing her son's head and smiling as he looked up at her with his identical-colored eyes. He was all James, except for his eyes. Lily loved that about her son.

"Lily! James!" Sirius' voice rang out from the crowd, grinning as the sun began to set over the water. "You made it! Great!"

"Ahhh there you are Padfoot! How've you been?" Lily asked, giving him a hug. "It's so good to see you too."

"There's my favorite godson!" Sirius said, lifting Harry into his arms quickly, much to the delight of the small boy. "I've been good Lily. Trying to clean up the mess left by Death Eaters. You know how it is… they've captured my bloody cousin and locked her up for good, so I'm grateful for that, anyway. Glad that Wormtail is off the streets too."

"Ah, do not use that name," James hissed. "He doesn't deserve to be called his Marauder nickname after he nearly sold our arses to Voldemort. We could have died, and I doubt Pettigrew would have cared if we left our son to be an orphan."

Lily shook her head. "James, can we not talk about this now? Tonight is supposed to be for fun, not talking about Death Eaters who tried to kill us."

"Lily's right… sorry I mentioned it," Sirius replied. "So, Moony said there's a place for the kids to go on the third floor of the hotel. Molly Weasley offered to watch them, along with another woman I didn't recognize… they have games for the kids, and a place for them to sleep."

"That's incredible!" Lily said. "They really have everything for the kids, don't they?"

"It wouldn't be the magical world if they didn't!" James replied. "Come on, let's drop Harry off."

Lily nodded, taking his hand, and the two set off for the hotel just down the street.

Suddenly, screams erupted from the coast.

Lily and James whirled around, seeing a green fog slowly beginning to cover the town. James tugged on her hand, and they followed the others around them, beginning to run, trying to get away from whatever it was. Apparation wasn't working. Nothing was working.

James' arms wrapped around her tight as the fog swallowed them.


	2. Chaos

"Wish we could be in Ravenclaw Cove right now," an Auror grumbled to his partner.

 

The other man, a tall man with dark skin and deep voice chuckled. "Someone has to be here to keep control of those who want to hold their own parties celebrating the You-Know-Who's defeat," he replied. "We'll hear all the juicy stories in the Prophet. Rita Skeeter is going to be all over it you know."

 

The first Auror nodded. "Indeed she will. Now that You-Know-Who is gone, she can finally go back to reporting the fluff."

 

"She stopped it during the war?"

 

The men laughed, before multiple silvery-white shadows flew through the air, landing in front of them, taking the form of animals. Their mouths opened, and panicked voices filled the office. With so many of them talking, it was difficult to hear exactly what was going on, but Kingsley Shakelbolt understood one thing he heard.

 

Something was wrong at Ravenclaw Cove.

 

"Quickly. We need to go," Kingsley told his partner. The other man nodded, standing up quickly as the two of them apparated from the Ministry to the outskirts of the town.

 

They ran to the barriers, but something pushed them back.

 

"What the hell is this?" Kingsley asked, pushing on the weird bubble blocking them. "We need to call for help. Get the others here. Send one to Gringotts – get some Cursebreakers here too."

 

His partner nodded, sending out his own silvery-white animal to the other Aurors that weren't at Ravenclaw Cove.

 

Kingsley walked around the strange dome, and tried to put his hand on it, but, as if a magnet was there, his hand flew up in the air. It was like… someone didn't want the town to be found. Magic crackled in the air – but it wasn't any sort of magic Kingsley had ever seen, and he'd been all around the world. No, this magic was not of the planet Earth, that he was certain of.

 

But they had magic too, and with the Aurors and Cursebreakers that had arrived, Kingsley was certain they would be able to break whatever this was.

 

"What's going on, Kingsley?" one asked him.

 

"Well… we're not entirely sure. It seems that somehow, the entire town was swallowed by this… bubble," Kingsley explained. "We need to try to break it. Everyone fan out around the town's boarders and try to break this… this spell!"

 

But despite their best efforts, the wizard world's best couldn't break the strange magic surrounding Ravenclaw Cove.

 

* * *

 

 

Their perfect, normal life had turned upside down.

 

The Saturday had started so normally – aside from Dudley waking up a bit earlier than normal for breakfast, but he was a baby, and even that was normal. When Petunia had given him his bottle though, she still heard a baby crying. She'd checked their radio and television – both were off. The neighbors on either side of them didn't have children, and even if they did, Petunia knew the children wouldn't be heard through closed windows.

 

What in the world was going on?

 

Frowning a little, Petunia made her way to the front door, opening it.

 

There, on the stoop, was a tiny baby girl, wrapped in a purple blanket. She couldn't have been more than a day old – if that. Petunia knew though, that she couldn't very well leave the child on their step – how would that look on more than just a superficial level? This was a _baby_. A living, breathing human baby. Petunia loved her normal life, but she knew they couldn't very well abandon an abandoned baby.

 

"VERNON!" she shouted, shutting the front door after making sure none of the neighbors were looking. Weekends were generally slow on Privet Drive. No one was awake yet.

 

Her husband groaned loudly from their bedroom, his thudding footsteps hurrying downstairs… well, as much as he could.

 

"Petunia, what's the ma – " he cut off, noticing the small little girl in her arms.

 

"I found her on the step. No note, no anything… except the blanket, which I'm assuming is her name," she explained, watching the little girl stir, quieting down.

 

Vernon frowned. "Then where'd she come from then?"

 

"I'm not sure…" Petunia replied. "But can't we take her in? She needs a home, Vernon. We can't just… give her away and hope she's adopted." It was strange, but she already felt a bond with the child.

 

Vernon nodded slowly. "This will not be normal, Petunia. We'll have to go shopping today to get her clothing and the like but… we can take her in."

 

Petunia smiled, rocking the little girl slowly. "Welcome to the family, Emma Dursley."

 

* * *

 

 

"Albus!" Minerva McGonagall cried, hurrying up to the Headmaster's Office, a large, leather-bound book tight in her grip. "Something terrible has happened."

 

News of Ravenclaw Cove's disappearance had been startling, and it seemed that there would be some absolutely awful consequences for the future generation of Hogwarts students.

 

"Minerva, what seems to be the problem?" the headmaster asked, staring at her with wide, curious eyes, the current edition of the _Daily Prophet_ spread on his desk, open to the first page detailing what little the Ministry knew about the strange disappearance of a random town.

 

"I was going through the lists of upcoming students to see who had been added today, but I noticed that there are names _missing_!" Minerva explained, sitting down at the chair next across from his desk, opening the book to the list of students that would be coming up in the next year. "The Weasley's, all seven of them, Harry Potter, Padma and Parvarti Patil, Adrian Pucey, Luna Lovegood, and the Greengrass sisters are all missing off the list." This was wrong.

 

Albus stared at her, before taking the book and reading it for himself. Minerva shivered, rubbing her arm.

 

"Albus, you don't think that these students were _at_ Ravenclaw Cove when it disappeared, do you?" she whispered. "What if those students are dead?"

 

But Albus, bless the man, shook his head. "I don't think that happened… I believe everyone in Ravenclaw Cove is still alive."

 

"How?"

 

Albus tapped his finger against the table. "I am not sure, I'm really not… call it a feeling, if you will. I believe we will see Ravenclaw Cove again."

 

"I hope you're right Albus… I really do."

 

* * *

 

 

Albus hadn't wanted to deliver this news, especially since this should be something the Ministry did themselves, but he knew he was the only one that would be able to speak to Petunia Evans… no, Dursley, as he had learned.

 

He made sure to apparated into an alleyway, walking the rest of the way to Number Four, Privet Drive. Muggles always stared when he walked among them, and as his age, it was something he had learned to ignore. It did not do well to dwell on things like that, so he didn't.

 

He did wonder though, what Petunia would think about her sister's disappearance.

 

Knocking on the door, he was greeted quickly by the elder Evan sister, who scowled at him. "Dumbledore," she said tensely. "What are you doing here?"

 

"I'm afraid I am here to deliver some bad news about your sister," Albus replied. "May I come in?"

 

The woman looked around, before quickly beckoning him inside. The home was quaint, tidy… everything he expected from Mrs. Dursley.

 

"What did Lily do now?" Petunia asked, taking a seat in a chair, her back straight, eyes full of distrust.

 

Albus made no move to sit down, knowing that sitting down without being invited would only further frustrate the woman. "Last night, there was a large group of wizards and witches celebrating Halloween in a town called Ravenclaw Cove… but something happened."

 

Albus saw something flash in the woman's eyes (concern, maybe?), but she said nothing, so the man continued. "The town has essentially disappeared off the map. The Ministry sent out our best Aurors and Cursebreakers to see what was going on, but not even they could break the spell on the town."

 

"But it's magic. How can they not be able to break it?" the woman snapped.

 

Albus shook his head. "I'm afraid I cannot answer that truthfully, because I do not know. From what I understand though, this is no ordinary magic. It's not from this world. It's… unnatural."

 

" _All_ magic is unnatural, Dumbledore," the woman countered.

 

"I know it is, to you. But to us, it is as natural as… your Muggle televisions, or telephones… but the magic the Aurors encountered was literally nothing we understand."

 

"What will happen to my sister, and the others in that town?" Petunia asked, and Albus could sense a bit of worry in her tone.

 

"I wish I could answer you with certainty, Petunia… but I will keep you updated as well as I can."

 

The woman was quiet for a moment, before finally uttering a murmur. "Thank you Dumbledore."


	3. The First Day

Regina stretched, rolling onto her side as she opened her eyes.

 

This wasn't the palace.

 

She stood, her mouth agape as she looked down at herself. Simple pajamas were on her body, and she was in a smaller, but still comfortable, bed. Regina glanced around in slight confusion, before realization dawned on her and she raced to the window, opening it with a gasp.

 

She'd done it. The curse had worked.

 

Regina let out an excited laugh, before she frowned, something filling her head. Words… no, _spells_ , were in her head.

 

Another land with magic? How was this possible? She thought the curse was bringing them to a land _without_ magic.

 

Huh. Oh well. The curse worked, Snow White was, hopefully, miserable, and she finally had her happy ending.

 

No matter. At least she wouldn't have to give up magic completely.

 

"Finally," she whispered, going over to a door in the room and opening it. In it, she found clothing. Mostly black, but there were some dark reds, purples, and blues. Just like back in the other world.

 

Regina pulled on the clothing, looking in the mirror to make sure she looked like she was supposed to, before heading outside the bedroom, following the staircase to what she assumed was the front door to the rest of the town.

 

She closed her eyes, hand gripping the door frame. Something was coming into her head. Ah… information about the town.

 

She was the leader of this town. Yes, excellent. There was a school… for magic, and King George - no, Albert Spencer in this world -  was the… headmaster. She supposed that meant he was the leader of the school. There was a hospital, and Frankenstein (no, _Whale_ ) was a… healer. She supposed that made sense. Snow White ( _Mary-Margaret Blanchard)_ was a teacher at Spencer's school. She taught something called 'Care of Magical Creatures'. Fitting. Snow White always did love animals.

 

 She hoped the woman was miserable.

 

"Regina!" she heard a voice call out. Funny… shouldn't they be addressing her as 'Mayor Mills'? That was her name in this world. Unless…

 

"Jefferson," she replied, raising an eyebrow. "Can I help you with something?"

 

"What have you _done_?!" the man, looking as frantic, and slightly… crazy (she supposed Wonderland had driven him positively mad).

 

"I cast a curse, darling," she replied, her tone telling him that should have been obvious. "Why else would we be here?"

 

"I'm not that stupid Regina," Jefferson hissed, pulling her down an alleyway for privacy. "I mean why did we land on another _town_?"

 

Regina frowned. Then she stared. The curse had landed on another, pre-existing town? That wasn't what was supposed to happen… at least, she didn't think so. She hadn't really paid attention when Rumpelstiltskin was explaining to her what she needed to do in order to cast it. But… this was concerning.

 

"Do those people… the ones that were here before, know that something is wrong with their town?" Regina questioned, keeping her tone calm, even though she was shaken inside by the news. So not only did she not have to remember the names of everyone she'd brought over with the curse, she had to know who these other people were too?

 

She had a feeling that information wouldn't come with the curse, like those from the Enchanted Forest had.

 

Jefferson shook his head, and her fears settled for a moment. "It doesn't appear so. It seems that they were affected by the curse as well… what the hell did you _do_?!"

 

"Don't blame this on me, Jefferson," Regina said. "I had no control over exactly where in the Land Without Magic we were going to land. I didn't know we'd land on another town. I didn't know it'd be another town _with_ magic."

 

It was also funny, because she had thought that Jefferson's curse was to be trapped inside of his home here, staring at his precious daughter from afar.

 

She wasn't happy with this development, but she would get over it. The curse had worked, that was all that mattered.

 

"You need to fix this Regina. Let them go."

 

"I can't do that, Jefferson," Regina said, raising an eyebrow. And even if she could, why would she? More pawns in her game would be fun… especially when they weren't people she knew. It'd be fun to see how this magic combined with the magic from their world… if there was any magic from the Enchanted Forest here, aside from the small tokens she'd brought with her, and the dome surrounding the town, keeping it hidden from any outsiders.

 

Jefferson ran a hand through his hair, obviously agitated by her words. "Then can't you give Grace back to me?"

 

Regina outright laughed. "No. Now if you don't mind, I'm going to explore this new world, and check up on dear Snow White."

 

She ignored the  fury in his gaze as she walked away, waving her hand in mock goodbye.

 

Regina walked to the school, to see how everything worked. Walking through the halls, she raised an eyebrow, forcing back a smile as she noticed the students (some familiar, others foreign) parting ways to let her through. It was clear that their cursed memories had given them the information that she was _not_ one to be messed with.

 

Perfect.

 

"Headmaster Spencer," she said with a grin, spotting the familiar former king. "How are you doing?"

 

Even he seemed slightly intimidated by her, going by the flustered look on his face. "Mayor Mills! I wasn't expecting to see you today. Fine, fine… everything is going just fine."

 

She raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? You seem upset… flustered about something."

 

"No, it's nothing. I was just not expecting to see you. Why are you here?"

 

"I've just come to check in on everything. Are the professors doing well? We can't have any student falling behind you know. I expect perfection out of the Cove Institute of Magic," Regina said, trying to think of whatever would make sense.

 

"Yes Mayor Mills, of course. The students are doing just fine, as early in the year it is."

 

She wondered then, when the school year ended.

 

"Good," she said simply. "Keep up the good work. How is Professor Blanchard doing?" she asked, using the term she'd picked up from one of the students she'd heard while walking down the corridor.

 

King George smiled. "She's one of the best professors we have. She gets the job done exceptionally well.. lonely and shy as she seems to be."

 

Regina could have strangled George for saying that Snow was Miss Perfect once again, but the fact that he'd mentioned her loneliness… well, that was good.

 

Charming must have been dead then.

 

She frowned, closing her eyes as Charming popped into her head. No, he wasn't dead… simply in a coma.

 

Well… as long as he wasn't awake, able to get to Snow, that was all that mattered.

 

"Thank you Headmaster," Regina cooed, a smile on her face. "I'll be on my way."

 

With that, Regina left the school building, her faith in the curse restored.


	4. Emma's Eleventh Birthday

_Eleven years later…_

Emma Dursley awoke on her birthday with a smile on her face. It was going to be a great day – her parents were taking her to the park for a picnic and party with her friends, and her mother had made her favorite cake too.

 

She just hoped that her parents weren't going to be super overprotective of her – like they had been for years now. She was their little princess, always needing to be proper and with the best things. She wanted adventure though. She liked going out and playing soccer with her friends, climbing trees when her friend's parents took her to the park, and being one of the guys.

 

She didn't necessarily hate being a girl, but she wanted to be able to be both, which was something her parents didn't understand.

 

Sighing, Emma looked at her clothing, knowing she _had_ to put on a skirt or a dress rather than a pair of trousers today. Mum would want her looking like a proper girl today, since it was her birthday.

 

But still, it was her birthday, and she had a family that loved her.

 

Emma ran a brush through her hair, pulling it back into a ponytail before she heard her mother calling for her from downstairs, the scent of cinnamon wafting up to her bedroom. When it hit her nose, Emma's eyes widened and she hurried downstairs. Cinnamon in food was her favorite thing, but a cinnamon scent on her birthday only meant one thing.

 

Cinnamon pancakes.

 

"Good morning!" she greeted cheerfully, taking a seat across from her brother, with a smile. Her father sat at the head of the table, reading the newspaper, and her mother stood at the stove cooking.

 

"Happy birthday sweetheart," her mother said, setting a plate of pancakes in front of her, putting a little whipped cream on the pancakes, just the way Emma liked it. "Are you looking forward to your party?"

 

Emma nodded. "Yes Mum, very much so."

 

Her mother smiled, kissing her head.  "We are so lucky to have you, Emma."

 

Her father grunted in agreement. "Quite right we are! You and Dudley are the most important things in our lives."

 

Emma smiled, cutting into her pancakes. "Thanks Dad."

 

"While you're eating, I'll go set up your gifts in the living room," her mother said, patting her shoulder and leaving the room. Emma didn't understand why she needed a tower of presents, but she never complained, so she simply nodded with a smile.

 

Something clicked from the front door, and her father perked up. "Post is here!" he announced, slamming the paper down on the table, making both Emma and her brother jump.

 

Emma and Dudley ate breakfast quietly. Well, Emma ate quietly. Her brother on the other hand was sloppy, yet her parents never said anything. They were both spoiled, but Emma had friends that were punished for doing naughty things. She and Dudley never got that kind of treatment… but Emma had a feeling she wouldn't mind. It would teach Dudley something, at least. Then again, with Emma's rebellious nature…

 

"Emma! You got a letter!" her father said, his grin wide. "Looks like one of your little friends sent you a birthday present."

 

Emma looked up from her breakfast, taking the envelope from her father.

 

_Miss E. Dursley_

_The purple bedroom_

_4 Privet Drive_

_Little Whinging_

_Surrey_

The girl opened the envelope, pulling out the first piece of paper out and reading it, before laughing a little. Hogwarts? What kind of made up name was that?

 

She heard her mother's soft footsteps make their way over to her, before the woman suddenly gasped in horror, the bowl she'd been washing clattering to the floor, hurrying away from the kitchen.

 

The other three Dursleys sat in a stunned silence.

 

"What's wrong with Mummy?" Dudley finally asked.

 

Their father frowned. "I'm… I'm really not sure," he said. "Guess we should go talk to her. I don't know why a fake letter like that would cause her to completely freak out like that."

 

Emma's lips pursed as she gazed at the letter that was still in her hand.

 

"Unless it's not fake…" she murmured, somehow entranced by the letter. Sure the whole thing _screamed_ of being fake, but… Emma had a feeling that it was real, though for the life of her she couldn't figure out why.

 

"Emma?" her father said, not having heard the murmur.

 

She ignored him.

 

"I'll go talk to Mum," she said, getting off her chair and heading upstairs, the letter in her hand. She didn't trust Dudley not to touch it while she was gone.

 

She couldn't hear any noises coming from her parents' bedroom, but the door was closed, so Emma could tell that her mother was in there.

 

"Mum?" she murmured, knocking on the door. "Is… is everything okay?"

 

She heard her mother sniffle. "Come in, dear. Just you. Not your brother or father."

 

Emma nodded and slowly made her way into the bedroom, closing the door behind her. She didn't dare move toward her mother, not until she got the 'go-ahead'.

 

"Emma darling… there's something you need to know," her mother said, patting the seat next to her. Only then did Emma sit down next to her.

 

"What's wrong, Mum?"

 

"Oh Emma… I don't know if I would say that something is wrong but…" her mother sighed, dabbing at her eyes with a piece of cloth. "There is just… a lot you need to know."

 

Emma looked at her mother, worry clear in her face. "Mum… please tell me. I don't like seeing you like this…" It scared her – she wasn't afraid to admit it.

 

"When I was thirteen years old… my sister Lily got the same letter you did," her mother began. "She had been showing some… odd signs of something being… wrong with her, but my parents never saw it. For some reason it was always me."

 

Wait, sister? Emma was already confused. "You… have a sister?"

 

Her mother nodded. "I'll explain in a bit… but anyway… that letter is not a fake, sweetheart. Hogwarts is a real school. A school of magic."

 

"Magic?" Emma said, her eyes widening. "But you and Dad always said that magic wasn't normal! That it wasn't real!" She'd wanted a magician at her seventh birthday party, and her parents, for the first time (and only) she could remember, had said no.

 

"I know… I know we did," her mother admitted. "But that's because… my sister's husband, your… _uncle_ ," she said the word like the man was an abomination to humanity, "did not leave the greatest impression on your father and I when we met him. And Lily would always come back from Hogwarts in the summer, showing us this or that when it came to her learning. I was so jealous, that I finally stood up to her. After that, I never saw Lily again."

 

"You had a fight?"

 

Petunia nodded. "Yes… we had a fight over her magic. I called her a freak… but then she disappeared. She, her husband, and their son."

 

"Disappeared?" Emma asked. "What happened?"

 

Her mother only shrugged. "I don't know. I found out the day after I found you on the porch. A man, Albus Dumbledore – "

 

"He's the man listed on the letter!" Emma said, showing it to her.

 

She nodded and smiled. "Well, he came to the door and told me that something had happened… Lily and her family were at a Halloween party and the entire town… just disappeared."

 

"How?"

 

Her mother shrugged. "I don't know. I asked, but not even Dumbledore knew. He said the magic that was there wasn't normal – even by their standards."

 

Emma's face fell. "Do you think she's still alive, Mum?"

 

"I don't know… but I hope so," Petunia replied. "I never thought I would say this, but I miss Lily, very much."

 

They sat in silence for a moment, Emma reaching over to hug her mother tight.

 

"But let's not discuss this darkness. It's still your eleventh birthday sweetheart," her mother finally said. "Come on. I want to get to the park nice and early so we can get everything set up for the party before your guests arrive."

 

Emma nodded, and the two went back downstairs to finish breakfast.

 

* * *

 

 

That night, Emma sat up in bed looking through the presents she'd been given. She'd gotten a lot of books, some make up and body wash kits, and clothes, upon clothes, upon clothes from her parents.

 

But the one thing that was still Emma's favorite, was the mysterious letter in the mail. She hadn't told her mother this yet, but there had been some strange things happening to her. When she had been upset with Dudley when she was five, something had fallen on his toe – something she hadn't been able to reach.

 

Then, when she was nine, her stuffed animals had gotten up and started dancing by themselves on her birthday, before her parents had come into the room. Emma had tried to brush them off as her seeing things but… apparently it was much more than that. She was magical.

 

Emma set the envelope on her bedside table, curling up in the covers. When she'd awoken today, she never thought she'd be beginning something so incredible in her life.

 

Emma Dursley was going to Hogwarts.


	5. Diagon Alley

"Emma! Wake up sweetheart! We need to go shopping today!" her mother's voice called from the living room. Emma was upstairs, reading over the list of things she needed at Hogwarts. Her mother had sent out a letter to Albus Dumbledore, asking him how exactly they were supposed to get to Diagon Alley considering her family weren't magical.

 

Professor Dumbledore had agreed to send someone to help them out, which had been a relief to her mother. The woman was still tense about the whole thing, and her father was utterly confused, convinced it was just a joke, and her brother, well… was her brother.

 

There really wasn't much she could do in that department.

 

"I'm awake Mum!" she called back, grabbing the envelope with her letter and hurrying downstairs. She was excited. Not as excited as she would be on the day she left for school, but she was still excited.

 

"Did you brush your teeth, Emma?" her mother asked, fidgeting nervously in the chair. Her father, Emma noted, was sitting across from her, reading the morning paper as usual, and she could hear Dudley in the kitchen, most likely eating.

 

"Don't worry Mum, I took care of it," Emma replied, before hearing a knock on the door. Emma bolted to it, before feeling her father's gaze on her, and the girl stopped, straightening up like a 'proper young lady', and gently pulled the door open, carefully concealing her excitement.

 

An older woman stood there, a witch's hat on her head. This must have been the woman that had been sent to take them through Diagon Alley.

 

"Are you Emma Dursley?" the woman asked, peering down at her through her square spectacles. Emma had a feeling her parents would get on well with the woman, considering the serious face the woman had.

 

"Yes ma'am…" Emma replied. "Please come in."

 

The woman stepped inside, giving a severe look around the room, her eyes settling on her mother. "I am Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress, Transfiguration Professor, and Head of Gryffindor House at Hogwarts."

 

Her mother nodded. "I recognize your name. Lily was in your house, wasn't she?"

 

The woman – Professor McGonagall's – eyes softened at the mention of Lily, and she nodded. "She was. She and her husband both."

 

She saw her mother smile just a tad, before standing up to fetch Dudley from the kitchen. Her father stood as well, throwing his hand out to shake Professor McGonagall's. The woman took it, a bit hesitantly, but offered her father a small smile.

 

"It is a… pleasure, to meet you Mr. Dursley," she said.

 

Her father simply grunted a reply. He hadn't been looking forward to this at all, and it made Emma sad.

 

Footsteps coming from the kitchen broke the awkward tension that had settled over the room – her mother and Dudley had returned.

 

"I believe we are ready to go," her mother said quietly.

 

Professor McGonagall nodded. "Good. Follow me then. I have managed to secure a Ministry car for our transportation to The Leaky Cauldron."

 

"What's The Leaky Cauldron?" Dudley asked.

 

"It is the gateway to the magical world. Carefully hidden from Muggle eyes," the professor explained as they were ushered quickly out of the house and into the waiting Ministry car. Emma was surprised that they had cars like this in the Wizarding world.

 

"How do wizards and witches get around?" Emma asked. "I thought we would be flying on brooms or something…"

 

Her professor chuckled and shook her head. "While we do use brooms sometimes, we prefer to apparate, or the Floo network. We use our cars when there is a large group of us or if we're escorting Muggleborns, like yourself."

 

"What's apparation?"

 

"You will learn about it when you get older," the woman said kindly as the car suddenly stopped outside of a run-down part of town Emma knew her mother would never bring her to.

 

"McGonagall, what is this place?" her father asked, obviously not happy about where they stopped.

 

"Well, we need a way to hide from the general Muggle population, don't we?" McGonagall said. "Follow me, quickly."

 

The family followed her into what appeared to be an abandoned building, but instead they found a lively, crowded (but warm and inviting) pub. Emma stared as trays flew through the air, going to the various customers.

 

But somehow, she wasn't afraid of it. It felt… almost like she was supposed to be there.

 

Professor McGonagall escorted them quickly through the pub and out a back door, where they stopped at a brick wall. The woman then pulled her wand out of her robes, and tapped a pattern on the wall, which moved, revealing the bustling alleyway behind it.

 

Emma could see shops, but she couldn't tell what the signs meant – aside from the one with the bird on it. She had a feeling that one was a pet shop, which she'd read she was able to have. She wondered what she would pick, but McGonagall quickly ushered them to a place called Ollivanders – the wand shop.

 

"Professor McGonagall – " her mother said, looking at the price list posted in the window.

 

"Please, you and your husband may call me Minerva," the other woman replied, giving her parents a slight smile.

 

Her mother stared, then nodded. "Minerva, then. How are we to pay for this? We don't have any… magical money."

 

"We can go to Gringotts Bank and exchange your Muggle money for our currency," McGonagall explained. "Emma can stay here – Mr. Ollivander is quite used to Muggleborns who still need the correct money."

 

Emma walked into the shop as her parents and brother followed McGonagall to the bank.

 

The shop was cramped, small on the inside, and Emma was glad that no one else was in here with her.

 

"Um… excuse me?" she called softly, wondering where any worker was.

 

"Ah…" a man said, stepping into the room from the back and looking at her curiously through his glasses. "You must be here to get your wand for school, am I right?"

 

Emma nodded. "You must be Mr. Ollivander."

 

"I am indeed, young lady. What is your name?"

 

"Emma…" she replied. "Emma Dursley."

 

"Hmm…" the man hummed, going to a drawer and pulling out a box. "The wand chooses the wizard, Miss Dursley. I've never been wrong yet. Try this wand."

 

Her wand.

 

Emma reached up, taking the wand carefully from Mr. Ollivander, excitement burning in her veins.

 

Until a vase shattered on the counter next to Ollivander. Emma shrieked in fear, stumbling back, but Ollivander simply frowned, though Emma could tell there was a hint of amusement in his eyes as he reached for the wand.

 

"Don't worry Miss Dursley. I'll find a wand for you."

 

Five wands, a broken window and two broken shelves later, Mr. Ollivander's patience was wearing thin – Emma could tell, and that didn't make her feel good about herself. What if she wasn't really meant to be a wizard? What if this whole thing was just a fluke?

 

"Let's try this one…" Mr. Ollivander said, returning from the back room and pulling out another wand. "Reed, ten and three-quarter inches, with a dragon heartstring core. Unyielding. Powerful."

 

Emma didn't think those words applied to her, but she reached for the wand and gasped, feeling something flowing through her. Power… magic… something.

 

But Ollivander was smiling, so that might be something good.

 

Emma returned the smile as McGonagall walked into the shop.

 

"I trust Miss Dursley's wand has been selected?" Professor McGonagall asked, raising an eyebrow at the man.

 

Ollivander nodded with a smile. "Indeed Minerva. She is all set."

 

McGonagall reached across the counter, handing him some coins – that must have been the magical currency that she was talking about.

 

"Best of luck at school, Miss Dursley," Ollivander said with a smile. "You will go far I believe."

 

Emma gave the man a kind smile, not understanding what was so special about her. She was Emma Dursley… adopted daughter of Petunia and Vernon Dursley, and, apparently, a witch. She had no idea how this world was supposed to work.

 

McGonagall led her out of the shop, and back to where her parents were waiting, Dudley holding an ice cream cone.

 

That wasn't much of a surprise, but Emma couldn't help but feel a little disappointed that she didn't have any ice cream too.

 

"So… is everything settled now?" her mother asked. "As far as your wand, anyway?"

 

Emma nodded. "I got it Mum, don't worry. Can we go to the bookstore now?"

 

Professor McGonagall chuckled. "We can go wherever you want next."

 

Emma smiled as they made their way to the bookstore, the small girl and her mother managing to get in, but her over-large father and brother unable to fit, so they waited outside with Professor McGonagall. Her mother seemed awkard in here as the two made their way down the aisles, looking for their books.

 

"Oh, hello," she heard a voice say. "Are you going to Hogwarts to?"

 

Emma turned, and found a girl who seemed to be around her age – maybe just a little older than her. She nodded in reply. "Yes, it's my first year. Are you?"

 

The girl nodded and smiled. "It's my first year too. I'm Hermione Granger."

 

"I'm Emma. Emma Dursley." She wasn't sure where her mother had gone.

 

Someone called for the other girl, and she gave Emma a small smile. "Hopefully I'll see you on the train, Emma. I've got to go now."

 

"Oh, that's alright," Emma replied. "I'll see you on September first!"

 

Hermione nodded with a smile, walking over to whoever had called her name.

 

Emma smiled and turned back to the books as her mother managed to make her way over to her.

 

"Who were you just talking to, sweetheart?"

 

"A girl… she's my age… starting Hogwarts too. She seemed nice."

 

Her mother smiled, handing her the books she'd managed to find. "So it seems like you've made your first friend."

 

Emma nodded. "Yeah… I think I have."


	6. September First

It was September first, and Emma was both nervous and excited for what the day would bring. Today was the day she was starting at Hogwarts, away from her family, but a way to start a new life and make new friends, and control the magic that had apparently been inside of her for years.

 

She looked around King's Cross, familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. The woman her mother had talked to had told her to simply run at the wall between Platforms 9 and 10, which they were standing in front of. It hadn't made a bit of sense, but then the family they'd been talking to did it, vanishing.

 

So… she had only one choice.

 

Taking a deep breath, Emma ran, her family clinging onto her, as they vanished through the wall themselves.

 

It worked.

 

"Cool," Emma murmured, gazing around the crowded platform, looking at the scarlet red train on the tracks.

 

Hogwarts.

 

"Here we go," she whispered, the family making their way toward it. Her father and brother put her luggage on the train, and Emma stood, looking at her parents.

 

"Are you sure you have everything?" her mother asked, nervously smoothing out the jacket Emma wore. "I don't know how I'll be able to send you things."

 

"Mum, relax. I triple checked everything. I promise," Emma said, hugging her.

 

"Alright sweetheart. You be good now. I don't want to get any letters saying you blew something up."

 

Emma laughed as she hugged her father and brother. "Mum, don't worry!"

 

The train whistled loudly, and Emma jumped, watching as a few of the doors closed. "I need to go you guys! I'll send you a letter when I get there!"

 

Her parents nodded, and she gave them one last hug before jumping onto the unfamiliar train to start her new life.

 

"Emma!" she heard someone shout.

 

The blonde looked around, before smiling as she noticed Hermione, the girl from the bookstore. "Hi Hermione!" she said.

 

"Can you believe we're finally going to Hogwarts?" she asked. "We can finally see what all the fuss in the books is about!"

 

Emma nodded as they made their way to an empty compartment, chatting all the while about the books they'd been reading over the summer (Emma was quite happy to learn that Hermione was a bookworm as well), talking about the school. Emma had a feeling, though, that the book wasn't going to be anything compared to the actual castle. Just like always – people tried to describe something, but when they were actually there, it became indescribable.

 

Hours later, they pulled up to another station and were greeted by a large man. He might have been scary, but he had a warm voice, so Emma felt comfortable around him as he led she, Hermione, and the other first years to some boats, making their way to the castle.

 

Emma gulped as they eventually led into the Great Hall, Hermione talking about the enchanted ceiling. She wasn't sure what her new friend was saying, but Emma didn't really care. She just wanted to know where she belonged here.

 

A hat was placed on her head a few moments later when her name was called.

 

 _"Hm… interesting… very, very interesting…"_ a voice said. Emma's eyes widened. Was the hat talking to her?!

 

_"Don't worry my child. I won't hurt you."_

"T-then what's so interesting?" she whispered.

 

 _"There is indeed magic in you. But not just from this world. I sense an incredible power with you. But I also sense a huge heart and sense of duty…"_ the hat said. _"If that is the case, I feel that the best house for you is… GRYFFINDOR!"_

 

The girl let out a slight sigh of relief – she would be with Hermione.

 

But the hat's words confused her.

 

* * *

 

 

"Professor Blanchard! Your assistance is needed at Mills Hospital, quickly!" a patronus says, leaping into Mary-Margaret Blanchard's classroom as she erased the board from today's lessons. She volunteered at the hospital sometimes, because it wasn't like she had anything else going on. Being a single professor

 

Mary-Margaret stared, sending a patronus of her own to the hospital, before rushing from the school, down the street to the hospital, silently sending up a prayer of thanks that Ravenclaw Cove wasn't that big of a town.

 

"What's going on Healer Whale?" she asked, staring at the man who was standing outside waiting for her. "You sounded frantic."

 

"John Doe… he's awake," Whale replied, leading her inside the building.

 

"Um… okay?" she said, raising an eyebrow in confusion. "Why am I needed?" She wasn't a Healer.

 

"He asked for you."

 

She frowned. He was a John Doe – a coma patient for eleven years, and yes, while Mary-Margaret had been reading stories to him (Muggle – her favorite considering she was a Muggleborn witch), she hadn't actually expected him to remember her name, or even hear it at all.

 

"Are you sure that's what he said?" she asked.

 

Whale nodded. "Clear as day… why don't you go on in?"

 

Mary-Margaret nodded, not wanting to impede the health of a John Doe, and entered the room, where the John Doe she had been watching for eleven years was sitting up in bed. He gave her a kind smile when he saw her.

 

"So you're the woman that's been reading to me… Mary, right?" he said.

 

She could only nod.

 

He gestured to the empty chair beside the bed, the one she'd occupied countless times ever since Mayor Mills alerted her to his presence, and she took a seat.

 

"I can't believe you remember me," she said. "I didn't think you could hear…"

 

The man shrugged. "I couldn't, until recently… when was the last time you were here?"

 

"Last night," she replied.

 

"Then last night is when I started hearing you. But I couldn't wake up. I heard the story… the end of it though."

 

Mary-Margaret smiled. "I'm glad I was able to help you wake up… what's your name?"

 

"They say my name is David. David Nolan."

 

She stayed in that room, chatting with David, unaware of the Patronus that Healer Whale was sending out to another Ravenclaw Cove resident…

 

* * *

 

 

The woman rushed into Mills Hospital as soon as she'd gotten the Patronus. Finally, he had been found, albeit with amnesia, but that was something they could work on. She just hoped she wasn't too late, that that other woman wasn't there to ruin the reunion.

 

"David!" she cried, bursting through the door and ignoring the young, dark-haired woman next to him. Probably a Healer or nurse or something. She didn't care right now - she wasn't that other woman, and David was okay. He was alive.

 

"Um…" he said, blinking in confusion, but returning the hug she gave him. "Do I… do I know you?"

 

"Well, normally you do," she replied with a chuckle. "My name is Martha Nolan. I'm your mother."

 

* * *

_In the Enchanted Forest of the past..._

 

Snow White stood tall in King George's palace after being captured by Lancelot. A goblet was shoved in her hand, but Snow White refused to drink it. George was tricky – and Snow didn't want to fall under another curse.

 

Even so, she would lift the goblet to her lips occasionally, tipping it just so to make it appear that she was drinking while George prattled on about losing the possibility of a family. She felt bad that he hadn't been able to have biological children of his own, but…

 

Oh Gods.

 

She gasped in horror, dropping the goblet, her arms wrapping around her middle. Even though she had been sure not to drink the liquid she'd been given, the thought that if she had she would be…

 

She was dragged out, thrown back in a carriage, and then dumped on the side of the road, near where Lancelot had captured her.

 

She stood, running as quick as she could to the cabin, only to find Charming's mother had been shot by the King's men. Lancelot had arrived as well, but seemed to be.. helping. Not hurting.

 

"Why are you here?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

 

"I couldn't let him destroy your family. That's not what I want to do," Lancelot told them.

 

"I know where we can take my mother. Lake Nostos. The waters there have healing powers," Charming said, stroking his mother's hand.

 

So they made their way, pausing a few times for Ruth to rest and adjust her blankets and pillows. Charming and Lancelot wandered off for a moment, and Snow felt Ruth take her hand.

 

"I have an amulet… one that can tell you what your firstborn baby will be," she said, reaching her hand up to her neck, where her necklace lay.

 

Snow stared. "Really?"

 

Ruth nodded, and Snow helped her take off the amulet. Snow held her hand out, like Ruth had done before. Snow watched it sway, wondering what it meant.

 

Ruth smiled. "Girl."


	7. Change in the Wind

David Nolan sighed and rubbed his eyes as the woman he'd been told was his wife left the ward, his mother following quickly behind her. He was glad that he wasn't an abandoned John Doe with no family to collect him from the hospital, left to wander around this town – Ravenclaw Cove – but honestly, with his mother and wife fighting, he wanted to go back into the coma.

It had started out well enough. When his mother had entered the room, elated at his awakening, the emotion had been contagious, and he was happy to be there with her. She was a lovely woman, kind and sweet, even to Mary-Margaret, the woman who had been reading to him for the past few months, as he'd learned.

Then, a woman named Kathryn, who claimed to be his wife, walked in, and Martha's mood changed dramatically – and it was clear Martha wasn't pleased with the marriage.

The instant the women saw each other, they were snapping. His mother questioning what took Kathryn so long, and Kathryn snapping back that his mother was coddling him too much, which was strange, considering he'd been in a coma for eleven years. It wasn't that easy to coddle someone in a coma, that apparently had been known as a John Doe the entire time they were in it.

Leaning back against the poor excuses for pillows, David flicked through some of the photographs he'd been given. Some of the things felt familiar, mostly the ones involving his mother, but the ones with Kathryn… felt off. Like they really weren't married. But why? If the pictures and stories involving his mother felt real, why couldn't the photographs of the woman he was supposed to call his wife?

But… Kathryn _had_ said that they were separated, near divorce, so perhaps… that was why – because he didn't really love her.

They seemed so in love in these pictures, obviously of better times. He hoped his mother didn't have anything to do with their separation, because he felt love for both women. But if his love for Kathryn didn't feel real, then why should he stay with her?

God, he had a headache.

"David?" a quiet voice asked.

He looked over, to find Mary-Margaret, and a genuine smile formed on his face. "Hi Mary-Margaret… how are you?"

She gave him a small smile. "I'm fine… how are you doing? I saw your mother and wife on their way out."

He fought the urge to roll his eyes. "I'm… doing as well as I can. They both brought pictures that I'm trying to look through right now. Healer Whale says they might help jog my memories."

"Oh… has anything seemed familiar yet?"

He nodded slightly. "A few things. The pictures with my mother and I from Christmas, and of my graduation…"

He saw her frown a little bit. "But nothing of your marriage? Surely Kathryn brought in pictures from your wedding."

"She did, but… none of that feels right. Except for the marital issues, but that's not good, is it?" he explained.

She sat down in the chair his wife had vacated moments before, and he couldn't help but think he liked seeing her in the chair more than his wife.

"Well… forgive me for prying, but is everything… okay in your marriage?" she asked.

David shook his head. "No… she said it wasn't… and I think I'm starting to figure out why."

Mary-Margaret gave him a curious look. "What do you mean?"

Leaning back, he sighed again. "My mother and Kathryn were just fighting the entire time they were here. Blaming each other for me being here…"

"I'm sorry…" the woman replied. "I wish I could help you figure it out…"

David gave her a kind smile. "Maybe you can… I mean… the other thing that feels real, that feels right… is you."

* * *

"Me?" Mary-Margaret asked. "But why? You've only known me for a few days."

She saw him nod. "I… I know that," he said. "But…. It's almost like… through your stories, I get to know you."

She frowned. That wasn't possible. "They're just stories, David. I mean… I'm not Snow White, and while I'm sure Kathryn considers you to be her Prince Charming… doesn't mean you're actually him."

"I know that," he said with a nod. "Otherwise I doubt I'd be in a coma for… how long? Eleven years?"

"Yeah, eleven years," Mary-Margaret confirmed. "But David… how can you know me from just reading you stories?"

He shifted, and she helped him sit up against the bed. "I don't know how to explain it," he admitted. "It just… feels right, to be around you."

She felt her cheeks go red, and she found herself looking at her plain black shoes, slightly scuffed from moving around her classroom all day. Merlin, she couldn't believe this man was making her feel like this. She hadn't known him before his coma, and she didn't really know him now.

She shouldn't be blushing like this – David was a married man, and while she was flattered to be one of the only things that felt right to someone that had been in a coma for the past eleven years, she was still aware that he was married.

Even if his marriage didn't feel right to him. He'd only just woken up, and he had no memories. It made sense that things didn't make sense to him right now.

But a small part of her wanted to hope that there was a reason for him not feeling right about his marriage to Kathryn, as much as she knew it was wrong. She had only just met him… well, officially, anyway.

"I'll help you in any way I can, David. But I work at the school so I can only come after classes are done for the day," she promised him.

He smiled a little, and Mary-Margaret couldn't help but feel her heart leap a little bit again. His smile was so cute, and she was glad she was the one to bring it to his face.

"Do you know how long I have to stay here?" David asked.

"Well… Healer Whale has to consult with Healer Lily Potter, I heard," Mary-Margaret replied. "But you'll be allowed out of bed and walking around tomorrow, as much as you can."

"Well, as long as I don't have to stay in this room all day…" the man muttered, and Mary-Margaret couldn't help but laugh a little. She could only imagine how frustrating this was for him – being in a coma for eleven years. He probably wanted to go out and explore Ravenclaw Cove.

"I don't blame you," she said, smiling a little. "I'm glad you're awake. The Healers were getting worried."

"Eleven years. I can see why they would be," David replied with a slight laugh. "I'm glad to know you, Mary."

Mary-Margaret blushed a little at the nickname. "Thank you. I'm glad to know you too."

* * *

Mr. Gold frowned a little as he looked out the window of his shop. Everything seemed normal, but there was something in the air. He wouldn't say it was unnatural, but… something he hadn't felt before. Something just… different.

The man hobbled to the door to get a better look, looking up at the sky, then up and down the streets. Nothing seemed to be different on the surface – people were milling about, children were running home from their lessons, and Mayor Mills was… well, being Mayor Mills.

Mr. Gold had a feeling something was going to happen in their small town of Ravenclaw Cove.

He wasn't sure what, but it was going to be big.

* * *

Lily Potter frowned a little as she stood in Mills General Hospital. Something felt off about this – like she wasn't supposed to be here, but that wasn't right. She and James had moved here after graduating from Hogwarts to hide from He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Despite James' wealth, she had gotten a job at the hospital because she wanted to help people.

Why did it not feel right?

She shook her head, looking down at her file. David Nolan was awake – and she needed to go consult with Healer Whale about his well-being and if he should get up and walk around or not. She didn't have time to concentrate on something like this when there was a patient to be looked at.

Still, even as Lily went into Healer Whale's office, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.


	8. Erised

Regina was not happy.

 

Snow White was not supposed to find her Prince Charming. Prince Charming was not supposed to wake up. But, in the event that he _did_ wake up, he was supposed to go to Abigail (Kathryn, in this world), and live his fake happily-ever-after.

 

The real one was not supposed to happen, and, despite her best efforts to keep them apart, they'd gotten (re)married and Snow White was… pregnant.

 

Though, she had one small victory, getting Snow White fired (from teaching at least – she still worked at the small 'diner' that Red Riding Hood and her grandmother ran, but Regina didn't mind that much… it seemed to be a much more stressful job than teaching) and having her live in… probably the smallest cottage Regina had ever seen.

 

Seeing them worry about rent (even if it went to dear Rumpelstiltskin instead of herself) was one of the more satisfying things of this curse since precious Prince Charming woke up.

 

As she saw dear Snow White walking into Granny's, she scowled.

 

Snow White was not supposed to be happy… and she would do anything she could in this Land Without (Her) Magic to make the woman's life hell.

 

* * *

 

 

Eighteen year old Emma ran through the corridor in tears. How dare he? How dare he think it was a good idea to cheat on her with a Slytherin? A sob escaped from her as she ran into an unused classroom, shutting the door and sliding down it and putting her head in her hands. How could she have been so stupid to believe that it was possible to have a relationship in school? Hermione was right – boys were worthless at this age… especially right before graduation, when they had N.E.W.T exams to concentrate on.

 

She just wished she hadn't slept with him.

 

Stupid sodding Neal Cassidy.

 

Emma rubbed her eyes, jumping a little as she noticed someone else in the room.

 

Professor Dumbledore stood near the back of the classroom, a mirror behind him.

 

"Good evening, Miss Dursley," he said calmly, walking toward her. How he always had an air of serenity and calmness about him Emma would never understand, but knowing that he was there somehow made her feel better, and she stood back up.

 

"Good evening, Professor Dumbledore," she murmured, not wanting to look at him.

 

"You seem upset…" the old man replied, a gentle hand extending out to touch her shoulder.

 

"It's… it's nothing serious… I just found out that Neal's been cheating on me, that's all…"

 

The last person she wanted to talk about this with was Professor Dumbledore. Not that she didn't adore the man, she simply just… didn't know how well-equipped he was to handle such matters, despite how wise he was.

 

"Ah to be young again and to feel love's keen sting…" he said softly. "I am sorry Emma, truly. No one deserves to feel their heart broken."

 

She nodded, still not looking at him. "Thank you," she murmured, looking around him and at the mirror he'd been in front of when she came in.

 

"Are you interested in the mirror?" he asked with a slight smile.

 

She shrugged. "It's just a mirror, isn't it? I've looked into them thousands of times."

 

His eyes lit up with someone Emma wasn't sure of, and he gave her a small smile. "Ah, Miss Dursley. This is no ordinary mirror…"

 

Gently, Emma was led to the mirror, not sure how to believe that this was anything more than a normal mirror.

 

"What sort of mirror is this?" she asked, frowning a little as he stepped away. What the…?

 

"Just look into it, Miss Dursley."

 

Emma raised an eyebrow, but did as he asked.

 

Instead of seeing her normal reflection she saw… well, she wasn't sure what it was she saw. She saw herself, sure, but there was a random man and woman standing next to her, dressed like they were going to some royal ball, and embracing her with joy on their faces. Behind them, others, dressed similarly. Emma could see her parents and brother among the crowd of joyous people, but her main focus was on the couple hugging her reflection.

 

"Who… who are they?" she asked, unable to tear her eyes away from them. Why did they seem so familiar, yet so foreign to her?

 

"I don't know, Miss Dursley. This is called the Mirror of Erised… it shows your heart's desire. If I look into it, I see something else."

 

Erised… desire… yes, it made sense… but she still didn't know who the people were. She tilted her head, looking closely at them. The man was tall, blonde hair like herself, light eyes… soft and warm, like he thought he would never see her again.

 

The woman had dark hair, red lips, and pale skin… she was beautiful. She tilted her head a little, and Emma gasped, backing away with sickening realization.

 

These were her biological parents. The ones she had been told dumped her on the steps of the Dursley's home only hours after she was born.

 

Why did they look so… beautiful? It didn't make sense…

 

"Miss Dursley?" she heard Dumbledore murmur from behind you. "Are you alright?"

 

"I-I saw them…" she said softly. "My… my biological parents. The ones that abandoned me…"

 

"I see…" the man replied with a slight nod. "Emma, there is something I've been meaning to discuss with you…"

 

Emma tilted her head curiously. "What… what is it sir?" she asked. Was something wrong? Was it her grades? Was it her Apparation test results? She was scared.

 

"I sense… something about you…" the headmaster said."I have since I met you."

 

She frowned again, not understanding. He was starting to sound like the Sorting Hat did when she was sorted all those years ago.

 

"What do you mean?" she asked. "I'm not any better than anyone else here." Hermione was the brilliant mind, not her, and Neville, even though he didn't look it, was actually pretty decent at spells. She was… she was just average.

 

"You see, on the night your parents found you – "

 

"My birthday…" Emma said softly.

 

Dumbledore nodded. "Indeed… that was the day Ravenclaw Cove vanished."

 

Emma stared at him – she'd heard of the town. On Halloween night, it disappeared. She'd known it was on her birthday, but she'd never really thought about it, until she'd heard Dumbledore say it.

 

Could her birth parents be there?

 

"I sense… power in you. Power that… isn't a part of our world."

 

Emma stared at him. "What? Not part of this world? How could there be another world with magic?"

 

Dumbledore shook his head. "I don't know, Miss Dursley… but I suppose anything is possible."

 

"Professor… the Sorting Hat said the same thing to me before I got sorted," she murmured softly. "I didn't think anything of it when I first got sorted but…" Now that he was saying the same things, something must be wrong with her.

 

_Thump._

"What the…?" Emma said, looking back toward the mirror. A book lay at her feet – that hadn't been there before.

 

"Professor?" she said. "Did you do something?"

 

But as she looked at the man, she noticed his hands were at his sides, not moving. He shook his head. "I'm not sure where that came from."

 

Emma knelt down, picking the book up.

 

_Once Upon a Time._

Her brow furrowed at the title. "That's weird… does the Mirror spit out things on occasion?"

 

Dumbledore shook his head. "I've never seen it do that before. How strange…"

 

The eighteen year old furrowed her brow again. Something was happening, and she wasn't sure what.

 

* * *

 

 

Oh God.

 

Oh God _no._

 

_No!_

The eighteen year old looked at the stick in her hand in complete horror.

 

She wasn't allowed to be pregnant. It was bad enough that she was a witch in this family, but now she had to be pregnant before marriage, too?

 

She put her head in her hands, taking a couple deep breaths to steady herself. Her parents were going to kill her. There was no other way to put it. She was a dead woman.

 

But how could she hide something like this? It wasn't possible… was it?

 

Emma sat back on her heels. She needed to talk to Hermione. She would know what to do.

 

Standing up, Emma shoved the test in her school trunk that hadn't been unpacked yet. Her parents and brother didn't dare touch it – they were too afraid of something popping out and biting them… or something. Emma then grabbed her jacket and apparated to Hermione's, where she was greeted by her cheerful mother.

 

"Hello Emma!" The woman said, waving her inside. "Hermione's upstairs. Let me call for her. Hermione! Emma's here!"

 

Running footsteps announced the arrival of her best friend, the brunette looking frantic and disheveled.

 

"Emma! Come upstairs! We have so much to talk about!" the girl said, taking her hands.

 

Emma snorted with laughter, despite herself. "You have no idea…"


	9. The Camping Trip

"Are you sure this is a good idea, Hermione?" she asked as Mr. Granger loaded the car up with her bags.

 

Hermione nodded. "Of course it is Emma. You need to do something before you… you know, get too far along and don't have the energy to do much of anything.

 

Emma was glad her friend had so much faith in her to not completely lose her mind in the later stages of pregnancy, but she was worried about how she would be when everything seemed to be imploding in on her with the baby's imminent arrival.

 

Of course, the only ones that would be panicking would be herself and her parents and brother because… Neal had no idea. He'd disappeared after their last meeting – the one that had led to the conception of the baby growing inside of her. Not that she regretted that night, but even so… it would be nice if she could know the whereabouts of her child's father.

 

But, she didn't need him really. She just wanted to know that he was at least still alive. That was all.

 

"Alright…" Emma said with a small smile, glancing back at her parents. "We'll be back in a few days."

 

"Have fun Emma," her mother said with a slight smile. "But be careful."

 

"I will, Mum. Don't worry," Emma  replied. "I'll see you in a few days."

 

"Just be safe…"

 

Emma kissed her mother's cheek and smiled as she went to the Granger's car, a trailer being pulled behind it for them to sleep in when they got to the forest. Muggle camping at its finest, she supposed.

 

She'd never been camping before, and the thought made her nervous – and not just because she was pregnant.

 

"You girls all set?" Mrs. Granger asked.

 

"Yes Mum, I think so," Hermione replied as they shut the door.

 

Emma nodded and smiled as they drove off to the campgrounds, the girls chatting all the way, mostly about the baby.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

"Have you thought of names?" Hermione asked as they walked through the forest, hours later.

 

"A little," Emma replied with a slight nod. "If it's a girl, I like Eva, or Ruth… or Diana."

 

"What if you have a boy?"

 

Emma shrugged. "I'm having a harder time with boy names. I like David, or Henry… but I'm not that sure… it's just a lot to think of"

                                                  

"I think all of the names you told me are lovely…" Hermione replied. "If you need help narrowing it down you know where you can find me. I don't start training for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures department at the Ministry for a couple of weeks."

 

Emma nodded, stepping over an overgrown root. "I know Hermione… but I think my Mum would kill me if she wasn't fully involved."

 

Hermione laughed a little. "You have a good – "

 

She stopped talking suddenly as they reached a cliff, and Emma frowned in confusion. It wasn't like Hermione to stop in mid-sentence like this. "Hermione? Is everything okay?" she asked, moving up next to her friend.

 

"Emma… what is that?" she asked, pointing in the distance.

 

The blonde squinted, trying to see. "It… looks like a clock tower. Why?" They had been walking for a while – why would it be so weird that they managed to find a small town?

 

"We need to go back," Hermione said, tugging at her hand and leading her back into the forest.

 

"Hermione!" she said as her friend tugged her back through the forest to their campsite. "Hermione, what's the rush?!"

 

"We're back!" Hermione announced to her parents as they arrived back at their campsite, Emma dropping back into a chair next to where the fire pit was going to be.

 

"Hermione seems frantic," Adam Granger said, staring at his daughter's retreating back as the other woman disappeared into the camper. "Did you girls see something?"

 

"Nothing bad…" Emma replied. "I don't think, anyway." Hermione's reaction was just so strange.

 

"Emma! Come here quick!"

 

Speak of the devil.

 

Standing up once again as she slowly felt the blood return to her feet properly, Emma made her way inside as the Granger parents began focusing on building the fire.

 

"What's the emergency Hermione? You've been acting jumpy since we were on our walk…" Emma said softly as she leaned against the small sink.

 

"That town we found… I think it's Ravenclaw Cove!"

 

Emma stared at her. "What?! But no one can get into Ravenclaw Cove… how is that possible?" Okay, she lived in a world of magic and things that might have been crazy to the rest of her family, but even _this_ was crazy.

 

"I know it might seem weird Emma but, I really do think we found it!" her friend replied, shoving a book in her arms.

 

Leave it to Hermione to bring textbooks on a vacation.

 

"Look at the map. We're about here…" Hermione pointed at a general spot on the page. "And we walked through this part of the forest, to these cliffs here…"

 

Emma nodded, following along with what Hermione was saying.

 

"The clock tower we saw was right here, wasn't it?" she said, pointing at the marker that indicated where Ravenclaw Cove had been the last time it was seen.

 

Emma nodded slowly. "Hermione… if we did find Ravenclaw Cove… what do we do?" she asked. "Do we alert the Ministry?"

 

Hermione shook her head. "I don't think we should tell the Ministry yet… let's figure out if it really is Ravenclaw Cove first, and then we'll… go from there. We might need back up from the Ministry, who knows?"

 

The thought of blindly going into the strange town made Emma uneasy. She was four, almost five months pregnant right now. If they ran into trouble, it wouldn't just be her that was at risk – her baby was at risk too.

 

"Don't worry about it Emma, if you don't want to go, I'll go by myself."

 

Emma scoffed and gave her a grin. "Since when do you know me to back down from something?"

 

Her friend grinned. "So, tomorrow. After breakfast. We go to that town and explore."

 

 

* * *

 

 

The next day, Emma and Hermione woke up early, careful not to disturb her parents. Hermione left a note on the door that led outside, so her parents didn't panic and go running into the woods to try to find them.

 

Emma took a deep breath, the thought that they'd found Ravenclaw Cove bothering her for some reason. She wasn't sure why, but she thought that there was something… there for her in the town that she'd never been to. It confused, scared, and yet… made her excited at the same time. As she and Hermione made their way closer to the town than they'd been to the night before, Emma glanced at the brunette.

 

"What are we going to do when we get there and it _is_ Ravenclaw Cove?" she asked.

 

Hermione chewed her lip, which made Emma even more nervous. Obviously, her friend hadn't thought that far ahead – which was strange to Emma considering Hermione was normally the one who thought very carefully about things.

 

"I guess we'll see what's going on there and figure it out later…" Hermione said. "I'm sorry Emma, I should have thought about it…"

 

Emma chuckled. "Don't worry about it. We'll be fine…" She wasn't sure why she felt that everything was going to be okay, but… most of the time, when she had feelings, they were right.

 

Except for that one time, with Neal. Then, she'd just been a hormone-driven teenager who wanted to know what it was like to be loved on more than a platonic level. That hadn't ended well at all.

 

In a way, she supposed it did. She would be getting a child – something she'd always wanted… just a little bit earlier than she'd planned. No one was perfect after all.

 

Emma and Hermione made their way through the boundaries, and the young woman frowned. "I thought the Aurors said there was something blocking them from getting into the boundaries to rescue people."

 

Hermione nodded grimly. "They did…"

 

"So… why could we get in?"


	10. Ravenclaw Cove

The two young women stepped carefully into the town itself, and looked around. Everything seemed… normal. Kids were running around, enjoying the summer weather. There was a school Emma could see, and what seemed like a hospital…

 

Normal. A normal town.

 

"Now what?" Emma asked.

 

"Er… no idea," Hermione replied. "We could… eat lunch? Surely there's a pub or something here to grab a bite…"

 

"I'd recommend Granny's," a voice said from behind them. Both girls jumped, finding a lanky man with red hair standing behind them. "She's got the best lasagna in town."

 

"Um… thanks," Emma said.

 

"You're not from here, are you?" he asked, looking at the women carefully. "I've never seen you before."

 

"No, we're not," Hermione admitted. "We're from London. We were camping in the woods and we found your little.. town on a hike…"

 

The man smiled. "Well then, welcome to Ravenclaw Cove. I'm Ron. Ron Weasley."

 

"I'm Hermione Granger, and this is Emma Dursley," Hermione said, introducing them with a smile. "Where is Granny's?"

 

"I was just on my way there. I'll take you."

 

"Thank you. That would be great,"  Emma said with a grateful smile. So far, so good, she thought. The town seemed normal, thank God.

 

The pub they were at was warm and inviting, and Emma smiled. In a way, it reminded her of The Leaky Cauldron.

 

"So, where are you guys from?" Ron asked as they sat down at a table with another man at it – it must've been who he was meeting.

 

"Ron, who are they?" the man asked.

 

"Visitors," Ron said.

 

"We're from London," Hermione said. One way to kill two birds with one stone. "We were camping and we spotted the town from one of the cliffs."

 

"Really? Wow. I'm surprised you guys were able to see it… we're pretty secluded," the man with black hair said.

 

"We saw the clock tower," Emma said. "It was peaking up out of the distance and… we just decided to see if it led anywhere. Hermione and I always had a self of adventure when we were in school."

 

The quartet talked for what seemed like hours over their lunch (and Emma noted a few shy glances between Hermione and Ron), before another man, one with what Emma thought was an Irish accent, walked in, asking for the men to go with him.

 

"I'm Graham," he said, his gaze finding Emma and Hermione. "I'm Head Auror here."

 

The thought of there being a Head Auror in a small town like Ravenclaw Cove was nearly laughable to Emma, considering Ravenclaw Cove was still in the United Kingdom, under the London Ministry's control. Something strange was going on with this town if they had their own central government. She really wanted to find out more about the town since its disappearance years ago.

 

The night of her birthday – the day she'd been found by her parents.

 

The men left, and Emma looked at Hermione. "Well, now where do you want to go?"

 

Her friend shrugged. "I don't know. Let's just… look around I guess."

 

It seemed like the safest option for now, so the girls set their money down on the table and left the restaurant, walking down the main street.

 

"There's a pawn shop," Emma said. "Maybe I can find something in there for the baby."

 

"Oh yeah, and my dad's birthday is coming up… let's check it out," Hermione agreed with a nod. "Come on."

 

The bell tinkled softly as Emma opened the door and stepped inside the shop. She would have thought, with this being a shop with old items in it, that there would be a distinct smell of must, but there wasn't. Everything was clean and neat. It was strange, but a relief.

 

"Welcome to my shop," a voice said, coming out from the back room.

 

"Oh, hi," Hermione said, smiling at the man. "You must be Gold."

 

The man's eyes sparkled with something Emma couldn't read. "Ah, am I that obvious?"

 

"Well, I just assumed…"

 

He chuckled. "You assume correctly. What can I do for you?"

 

"Well… I was looking around for something for my baby..." Emma explained. "Do you have anything?"

 

The man frowned for a moment, gazing around his shop. "I have a baby mobile here, with unicorns. Would that be something that might interest you Miss…"

 

"Dursley," she said. "Emma Dursley."

 

* * *

 

 

_Emma Dursley._

_Emma._

Something shot into Mr. Gold like a bolt of lightning. Images, no, _memories,_ flashed through his mind. His gold, glittering skin, the high-pitched, manic voice, and… the magic he'd loved too much.

 

He was Rumpelstiltskin, the man who created the curse to bring them here, to this world, that was supposed to be without magic.

 

They'd interfered with another town, enveloping them into their little curse. He felt a brief pang of regret and guilt, but it was quickly smothered by the sheer joy he felt upon realizing that he remembered who he truly was. The savior was here… and she would, hopefully, be able to lead him to his son.

 

"Ah, hello Emma… and, who are you?" he asked, turning to the other woman. A friend of hers, most likely. Good, considering Snow White and Prince Charming and placed the utmost trust in a stupid tree… not knowing where their child would land, if she would even survive.

 

It made him shudder, but he had more in common with the royals than he cared to admit… which may have explained the twisted sense of respect he had for them.

 

"Hermione. Hermione Granger," the bushy-haired woman replied. "It's nice to meet you."

 

Ah, she was polite. Good then.

 

"It's good to meet you as well Miss Granger," he replied. "Now Miss Swan, let's see what we can find for your new bundle of joy…"

 

He saw a flicker of something in her eyes, and he wondered what was going through her head. If only he had his powers…

 

"So what were you looking for, Miss Swan?" he asked. "Do you know the gender?" Judging by her stomach, she was far enough along to know the gender of the baby.

 

"No… I don't… so I'd prefer something for both genders…" she replied, her tone soft.

 

He gave her a kind smile, more than one meaning hidden in it. "Well… let's see what I have here, hm?" he said, looking around the shop for anything that belonged to her biological parents that was, rightfully, hers.

 

Though he ran this fake shop, he knew most of the items in here were not his, even through all the deals he'd made back in the Enchanted Forest. Only a few things belonged to him, but some…

 

"Emma, do you know how to play chess?" the girl's friend asked.

 

Rumpelstiltskin watched Emma turn, nodding a little.

 

"Yeah, Dad taught Dudley and I."

 

 _Dudley?_ What kind of name was that?

 

"Why don't you buy this chessboard then? It'd work for a boy or a girl."

 

He smiled a little. If Miss Dursley agreed to it, she'd unknowingly be buying her grandfather's old chessboard. The board was supposed to go to Snow White after Leopold's untimely death, but, like with everything, Regina had taken it away from her.

 

"Yes… yeah, that's a good idea Hermione."

 

So it would be her grandfather's chessboard then. Rumpelstiltskin gave her a curt nod before getting the chess set out of the glass case.

 

"Be careful with this…" he said softly. "It is quite old."

 

"I will," the young woman who was so much more than she knew replied. "Thank you Mr. Gold."

 

"No worries dearie. It was nice to meet you both. Enjoy your stay in Storybrooke."

 

Rumpelstiltskin watched them leave, the door swinging closed before he murmured into the air.

 

"What a lovely name."

 

* * *

 

 

Emma gasped, following Hermione as they ducked into the nearest building – a hospital. The skies had, quite literally, opened up above them. How on earth they hadn't noticed the black clouds above them when they were making their way to the town she didn't know, but damn, she wished they had.

 

"What are we going to do?" she asked, looking at her friend.

 

Hermione bit her lip. "I'll send a patronus to Mum and Dad… we might as well stay here until the storm passes…"

 

Emma nodded and sighed a little. She really just wanted to get back to the camper.

 

"Can I help you with something?" a voice asked from behind them. Emma turned, finding a woman who seemed vaguely familiar to her.

 

"Um… no. We're just passing through town and the storm hit… we were just going to wait it out here, if that's okay?" Emma explained to the woman. She hoped it would be, anyway.

 

"Of course… I completely understand. I'm Healer Potter… but you both can call me Lily."

 

Emma's eyes widened, a gasp escaping her before she could control it, leading to a strange look from the woman.

 

"You're my aunt…" she whispered.

 

The woman's brow furrowed. "What?"

 

"I'm Emma. Emma Dursley. My mum is Petunia…"

 

Recognition clicked, the woman's eyes clearing as it dawned on her.

 

"Oh my… you're so beautiful I didn't recognize…"

 

She flushed a little, her cheeks going pink. "Don't feel bad… I was adopted… so if I don't look like them that's why."

 

"How… how is Petunia doing?" Lily asked.

 

Emma smiled a little. "She's… she's doing fine actually. She's still married to Vernon and they have a son, my older brother, Dudley…"

 

And so, Emma sat with Lily and Hermione, explaining everything the woman had missed, having no idea what effect something so simple as her name was having on the rest of the town's original inhabitants…


End file.
